In an act of support for decentralized privacy, the Solana Policy Institute has donated $500,000 to the legal defense fund of the Tornado Cash developers.
The donation is intended to help cover the legal costs of the developers, who are facing criminal charges in the U.S. and other jurisdictions for allegedly helping facilitate money laundering through their privacy-enhancing smart contract.
On one side are regulators who view privacy tools like Tornado Cash as a means for criminals to launder illicit funds. On the other side are developers and advocates who argue that privacy is a fundamental human right and that the code itself should not be a crime.
According to the
reports, Roman Storm and Alexey Pertsev were found guilty of crimes linked to the crypto mixer. They are now in prison.
The legal liability or privacy
The Solana Policy Institute, in its statement, emphasized its belief that “the ability to transact privately is a critical component of a free and open society.”
The case against the Tornado Cash developers has been a pivotal moment for the crypto industry, raising important questions about the legal liability of software developers and the future of on-chain privacy. The donation from the Solana Policy Institute underscores the high stakes of this legal battle and the commitment of many in the crypto space to defend the principles of decentralization and privacy.
